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Portugal stepped up preparations for Euro 2020 with an impressive 4-0 victory against Israel at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in the capital city of Lisbon. Fernando Santos named a strong starting XI, with Premier League superstars Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes returning to the side after their European commitments with their respective clubs.
Fernandes looked lively in the opening exchanges and saw a lot of the ball. The midfielder broke the deadlock with a first-time finish from inside the penalty area after being played in by Cancelo on the right flank.
Portugal doubled their tally before the interval, with Cristiano Ronaldo getting his name on the scoresheet with a strong left-footed finish. The legendary attacker scored his 104th goal for the reigning European champions to put his side in pole position going into the break.
Santos made a handful of changes to his side after the interval, but Portugal didn't let their guards down and piled on the pressure. They finished the game with a staggering 24 shots on goal and added two further goals in the second half.
Cancelo scored his fifth goal in Portugal colors late in the game to inflict more pain on the visitors, while Fernandes doubled his tally on the night with a clean strike from the edge of the box in the dying embers of the game.
Here are five talking points from the game, as the reigning European champions made a massive statement with a commanding display at home.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo edges closer to Ali Daei's record
Cristiano Ronaldo scored Portugal's second goal of the night to move up to 104 international goals. The Juventus hitman is one of the greatest footballers of all time and is only five goals away from equalling Iranian icon Ali Daei's record of 109 goals for his country.
Portugal enter Euro 2020 as defending champions and the spotlight undoubtedly falls on Ronaldo, who will look to lead the line to devastating effect once again. He was Santos' star man at Euro 2016 and will look to replicate his heroics from five years ago to emulate Spain's feat of defending the European Championships in the coming weeks.
#4 Bruno Fernandes sparkles for Portugal on his return to the starting XI
Portugal's midfield looked a bit dull in their previous international friendly against Spain, as Danilo Pereira, Sergio Oliveira and Renato Sanches were comfortably outmaneuvered in the center of the park. Bruno Fernandes came on as a second-half substitute and showed flashes of his brilliance, but he could not decide the game in his side's favor.
Against Israel, though, the Manchester United man returned to the starting XI and was the best player on the pitch in the first half. He ran the show in midfield and broke the deadlock with a good finish while also providing the assist for Ronaldo's goal. The 26-year-old capped off a fine performance with a fantastic goal from the edge of the box late in the game, indicating that he's at the peak of his powers.
Fernandes is coming on the back of a stunning season at club level and will look to take his good form into Euro 2020.
Also Read: Strongest possible starting XI for England | UEFA Euro 2020
#3 Manor Solomon grabs attention with eye-catching display for Israel
Portugal thoroughly dominated the game over the course of the 90 minutes and romped to a routine victory, but Manor Solomon can take heart from his performance against a star-studded side. The Shakhtar Donetsk attacker almost single-handedly carried his side forward with his pace and strength on the ball, while his dribbling ability also came to the fore in the first half.
Solomon made the headlines in the 2020-21 season with two stunning displays against Real Madrid, as he scored home and away against the record European champions to give his side two much-needed victories in the UEFA Champions League group stages.
The 21-year-old once again delivered an eye-catching display against a top side and could well earn himself a big move this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal reportedly keeping tabs on him.
#2 Portugal are blessed with enviable full-back depth
Nuno Mendes and Joao Cancelo were stationed as full backs on either side of Pepe and Ruben Dias, as Fernando Santos opted to give game time to most of his players.
Cancelo stole the show with a fantastic display and made defining contributions at both ends of the pitch. The Manchester City man cleverly teed up Bruno Fernandes for the opening goal of the game and defended resolutely in the first half, indicating that he could retain his place over Nelson Semedo. His crowning moment, however, came late in the game, as he scored a stunning goal with his weaker foot to cap off a fine display.
Mendes, on the other hand, turned heads with his industry and crossing ability on the left flank. Santos is likely to stick with Raphael Guerreiro at left-back, but the Sporting CP star is one of the most exciting players in the world in his position and will look to make an impact in the games ahead.
#1 Portugal's front 4 could be a force to be reckoned with at Euro 2020
While the focus will undoubtedly be on Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal captain is blessed with an outstanding supporting cast to share the burden. Diogo Jota and Bernardo started either side of Ronaldo, while Bruno Fernandes joined the attack from an advanced midfield position to complete what looked like an impressive front four.
The reigning European champions created a flurry of chances in the first half and scored two well-worked goals just before the interval, with their attackers playing starring roles in the build-up as well.
Fernando Santos also has a handful of fantastic options to call upon from the bench, with the likes of Andre Silva, Joao Felix, Pedro Goncalves and Goncalo Guedes raring to go if the opportunity were to arise. For the opening game against Hungary, though, the experienced manager is unlikely to make changes to Portugal's attacking armory.
Also Read: Strongest possible starting XI for England | UEFA Euro 2020
